Kevin Nolan believes Newcastlecan improve on their 12th place finish in the Premier League next season if the club back boss Alan Pardew in the transfer window.

Pardew took over in the midst of a storm last December following Chris Hughton's untimely departure as boss.

Toon owner Mike Ashley's decision to dispense with Hughton's services just months after he had guided the club back into the Barclays Premier League did not go down well either with the fans or the players.

Fired up: But Newcastle captain Kevin Nolan insists there was never any danger of a revolt against Alan Pardew

Therefore, Pardew faced the delicate task of repairing bridges while at the same time attempting to steer the Magpies clear of the relegation battle.

But despite the loyalty to Pardew's predecessor which remained inside the dressing room, Nolan insists there was never any danger of a revolt.

He told NUFC TV: 'Everyone was very unhappy with the treatment of Chris and how it went down, but the fact is the owners had a job to do and they thought they could get someone in who was going to take the club forward.

'You have got to respect those decisions and, as players, all we have got to do is make sure we are right for the new manager coming in, and that was the be all and end all of it.

Worked wonders: Alan Pardew took Newcastle to a comfortable 12th place in the Premier League this season

'I spoke to Alan - it was very well documented that he came to see me the day he took the job and he was introduced to the press and to the fans.

'He came to see me at my house, which I thought was a great move, just to come and see what the players were about.

'I did reassure him then that he was not going to have any backlash, because there were things in the papers that players were going to down tools and things.

'We had worked too hard to get where we were at that point and we weren't going to let a press report or things like that get in our way.

'The drive and desire the gaffer has for wanting to take this club forward matches what we have got in the dressing room, so we are just hoping now that he gets the resources to make sure he can better us and keep moving us on year by year.'